This invention in general relates to the game of darts and, in particular, to the structure of a dart flight which attaches to the end of a shaft in a conventional way to improve scoring and protect the shaft from subsequently thrown darts.
Dart flights are well-known having beginnings as feathery attachments to one end of a wooden shaft in which the point was centered at the other end, a structure not uncommon even today, although now more likely found duplicated of injection molded plastic to which the steel point is attached.
The more contemporary dart design, however, is a more precise instrument generally comprised of a more or less precision turned central barrel having the point centered in one end and a steel and plastic or plastic slotted shaft centered in the opposite, or trailing, end. To the trailing end attaches a thin, flight, usually of four wings, which is used to aid balance and enhance stability throughout flight to the board. The flight, sometimes of plastic, releasably attaches to the end of the trailing shaft by way of slots, cruciform in section, which are provided for this purpose.
However, most of the known arrangements along these general lines have the disadvantage that they leave the end of the trailing shaft exposed, particularly the prongs, such that subsequently thrown darts can inflict serious damage to the previously thrown dart stuck in the board to be deflected off course so much that scoring is seriously affected, or in the worst case can dislodge darts already in the board while not entering themselves.
Those in the art have recognized this problem and have proposed a solution in the form of a metal cap which inserts in a cutout portion from the central spine of a flight and fits over the trailing shaft end to protect it and deflect subsequently thrown darts, as shown for example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,884 issued to Leonard Alfred Tunnicliffe on Sept. 19, 1978.
In spite of the advances made in this field, there is still a need for improved dart structures and, specifically, dart flight design. Of course, material cost and ease of fabrication of dart flights is always a consideration.
Consequently, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide the art with an inexpensive, easily manufactured dart flight which will improve scoring performance and protect dart shafts from injury from subsequently thrown darts.
Other objects of the invention will, in part, be obvious and will, in part, appear in the detailed description that is to follow.